Cruise ship visits to Lisbon, Portugal, have hit a file excessive in 2022, with the Port of Lisbon reporting 103 turnaround cruise calls and 88,292 passengers that embarked or disembarked within the port. This is a major enhance from the numbers reported in 2019, with a 43% development in port calls and a 21% development in passenger numbers.
Lisbon’s rising status as a preferred vacationer vacation spot and an necessary turn-around port for transatlantic voyages has led to this enhance in reputation amongst cruise strains.
Lisbon as a Popular Tourist Destination
Not solely is Lisbon a picturesque and historic metropolis, however additionally it is a handy cease for cruises touring between Northern and Western Europe to the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
According to the port of Lisbon, in 2022, the port recorded 327 cruise ship calls bringing 492,438 folks to the town, representing a development of 5.5% in comparison with the 310 calls made in 2019. Of these 327 ships, 103 calls have been made to carry out embarkations or disembarkations.
Many cruise strains, comparable to Norwegian Cruise Line, AIDA, Fred Olsen Cruise Line, and P&O Cruises, have frequent stops year-round in Lisbon, and throughout the summer season, almost all main cruise strains use Lisbon as a turnaround port or cease on one in every of their cruises.
The port is often the final port of name in mainland Europe earlier than transatlantic voyages and the primary port of name after a repositioning cruise from the United States. The enhance in tourism arrivals to the attractive Portuguese capital metropolis is nice for tourism and has a major financial affect.
According to the Port of Lisbon administration (APL): “The interest by cruise operators to embark and disembark their ships” in Lisbon is clear. This will not be solely excellent news for the town’s tourism trade, but it surely additionally brings important financial advantages.”
“A passenger embarked in Lisbon spends an average of €367 in the city, according to a study of the economic impact of cruise activity in Lisbon. This means that in 2022, the 45,276 passengers who embarked at the port of Lisbon generated approximately €17 million of direct economic impact.”
Just lately, the port of Lisbon welcomed the UK’s largest-ever cruise ship, the Excel Class Arvia.
Recognition for Lisbon’s Success
Despite having had extra port calls, the port of Lisbon didn’t file a rise within the variety of whole cruise passengers, primarily attributable to well being protocols on board. For a big chunk of 2022, cruise ships sailed with a considerably decrease occupancy than the norm.
However, this didn’t diminish the success of the port and the town as an entire. The Lisbon cruise terminal was acknowledged as the perfect in Europe by the World Cruise Awards in 2022, additional solidifying its status as a prime vacation spot for cruise ship guests.
The Chairman of the Lisbon Port Authority, Carlos Correia, highlighted the significance of this recognition: “This distinction is a clear recognition of the work developed by the port, the city and all the agents involved in the cruise sector, who have been able to adapt and overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic.”
Lisbon gives quite a lot of excursions for cruise passengers to get pleasure from. Visitors can discover the historic metropolis heart and admire the structure for which the town is legendary. Taking a standard tram experience by the town can also be a preferred method to expertise the tradition and views of Lisbon.
Wine lovers can take a tour of the close by wine areas and style among the native wines. For these in search of a extra laid-back expertise, there are many alternatives to calm down on the town’s many seashores.